Eleanor Elkins Widener Rice

Eleanor Elkins was the daughter of William Elkins, one of the richest men in Philadelphia. She was also one of the most beautiful women in the city. She married George Widener, the son of her father's business partner, and in 1912, the couple and their eldest son travelled to Paris. On their return voyage, they did what any sensible and insanely rich couple would do: they booked passage on the newest and safest ship in the world. On the night of 14 April 1912, they hosted a dinner party in honor of the ship's captain, Edward Smith.
Early the next morning, the Titanic ended its voyage somewhat ahead of schedule. George and Harry Widener went down with the ship, along with Captain Smith and more than 1500 of their fellow passengers and the crew. Eleanor Elkins Widener and her maid survived that night and made it back to land. In memory of her son, Widener endowed the Harry Elkins Widener Memorial Library at Harvard University.
At the 1915 dedication of the library, she met the dashing professor Alexander Hamilton Rice Jr. and the two were married later that year. Since that time, she has traveled with Rice on his explorations through South America.